Sleeping Memories
by Usagi Carter
Summary: Just days after his beloved is released from her crystalline prison, Endymion spends a tender moment watching her sleep, reminded of another time, so long ago…


Sleeping Memories  
By: Usagi Carter  
Last Revised: May 9, 2010

Summary: Just days after his beloved is released from her crystalline prison, Endymion spends a tender moment watching her sleep, reminded of another time, so long ago…  
Rated: T  
Ship: Usagi/Serenity – Mamoru/Endymion

Disclaimer: Nope….it's been six years since I wrote, I still don't own Sailor Moon….damn…

Author's note: _peeks out carefully from behind Crane-chan and Falcon-chan and blinks_ There's actually people still out there….wow….um, yeah, so, my most humble apologies. It's been roughly six years since I last wrote for this fandom, and I'm sure not only have I changed, but so have the fans and so has the fandom. I'm not making any promises about getting back to other stories, though I am trying, but I've decided to dip my toe in the pool again with this tiny little drabble. Hopefully, those of you who've seen my other work will notice the difference six years has made (though how I expect you to see that with a tiny one shot is beyond me, but hey, it's there, promise.)

Dedication – to Ang, Kasey, and Bonnie…..you three gave me back my love of Sailor Moon, even though it's taken forever for me to suck up the courage to do it. THANK YOU! And Engima, thanks for the title!

* * *

**Crystal Tokyo**  
**5 Days Post Sailor Moon R**

Leaning on one elbow, he watched her as she peacefully slept. She was sprawled on her stomach, hands under one of the white satin pillows of their bed. Her golden hair wasn't in its usual odangos, but rather a waterfall of silken threads that spilled over the side of their bed. Despite months of being locked in the crystal, seemingly asleep, he could still see the signs of her exhaustion. She'd told him how she'd been feeding power to Small Lady and Usagi, trying desperately to help them defeat the Dark Moon family. She'd also tried doing the same with the Inner Senshi, hoping any bit of power she could spare for them would keep them alive as they spent their energy trying to protect the palace. Her body may have been resting, but her soul hadn't. As much as he wanted to wake her, to see those beautiful crystal blue eyes of hers, he felt he couldn't begrudge her this rest she so obviously needed.

He'd spent months on his own, unable to touch her, talk to her; he'd felt as he had when she'd still been a mere dream, only this had been worse. He knew he'd never forget the aching that had nearly torn his soul asunder. It was one thing to dream of something you didn't even know was real, it was another to know what it was like to have something and feel as though you were never going to get it back. He knew he'd come perilously close to losing his sanity during the months of her hibernation. If it hadn't been for Luna, Artemis and Sailor Pluto, he'd have lost his mind.

Her face was turned toward him now, and her shoulders had come into view as she shifted slightly under their sheets. He knew she wore nothing beneath; they'd made love with breath-taking intensity all night. It had been that way for nearly a week now, since she'd been freed. Their days were spent seeing to their people and their family, which included the senshi; their nights had been focused solely on each other. A wry grin worked itself onto his face; with the way they'd been going the last few days, he knew they'd be lucky if Small Lady didn't have a brother or sister coming in the near future. Not that he'd mind, of course. They'd always wanted a big family.

Leaning over, he caressed her back, shoulders and neck with his aching lips. She was so smooth, soft and warm. Closing his eyes, he thanked every deity he could think of for giving her back to him. Opening them again, he looked down at her and remembered another time when he'd woken to look at her after an intense event in their lives…

* * *

**1997**  
**The morning after defeating Galaxia and Chaos**

Every muscle in his body ached fiercely. For all intents and purposes, he'd been dead for the last few months, but he felt like he'd been through one long battle despite it. The last thing he vividly remembered doing was kissing Usako goodbye before getting on a plane for America. He vowed to himself this instant to never, ever leave her side again. There were vague memories of Galaxia controlling him, but nothing firm enough to give him an exact idea of what had happened in the last few months.

Turning on his side, he looked down at the warm body snuggled against his. Last night, after they'd all be reunited and Chaos defeated, he'd wrapped an arm around his beloved and brought her home with him. The need to reassure each other that they were both alive had overcome any intentions to wait until they were married before they made love. He could still stunningly remember their joining – the fact that they'd given each other their innocence still amazed him to the core. Shaking himself from his thoughts, he looked down at her peacefully sleeping form.

She lay on her stomach, her face turned toward him. Her arms were wrapped around one of his pillows, her bare shoulders visible. With a grin, he slid his hands under the covers, his fingers skimming down her sides and over her back. His lips descended to the nape of her neck, caressing lightly. He smiled as she stirred, little moans escaping her. "Mamo-chan?" she sleepily asked.

"Usako," he murmured, kissing her cheek softly.

A shy smile crossed her features when she realized they were both naked still under the covers. "Morning already?"

He nodded and rubbed his lips over her shoulder, smiling as she shivered and goose bumps dotted her skin. "I love you."

His breath caught when her eyes started sparkling with tears and happiness and the brightest smile he'd ever seen cross her face. "Mamo-chan!" she cried happily, moving to wrap her arms around his waist and bury her face in his chest. They stayed locked like that until contentment gave way to passion and they made love to one another in the morning light.

* * *

**Crystal Tokyo**

"Mamo-chan?"

Endymion blinked and refocused his eyes, noticing the worried expression on his wife's face; his own melted at the sight of her. "Usako," he murmured, watching her eyes cloud with tears. Only in the privacy of their bed chambers did Serenity and Endymion take a back seat to Usagi and Mamoru. It was one of the ways they'd kept each other sane in the otherwise three ring circus that was their lives.

"You looked so lost for a moment there," she whispered, caressing his cheek with warm fingers.

"I was just remembering another morning similar to this," he spoke, his voice trailing off. He never mentioned the last battle with Galaxia and Chaos, because it hurt him to see the fear that came into her eyes.

"Chaos." Her word startled him. She never mentioned it either, which surprised him that she'd mention it now.

"I was thinking about the morning after."

A smile crept back onto her beloved face as she stretched, her body brushing his. He groaned and wrapped her in his arms, drawing her flush against him, knowing she could feel the state of his body. "Beloved, you torment me."

She gave him an innocent, 'who me?' look before she grinned impishly. "Mamo-chan?"

"Yes Usako?"

"Make love to me, please," she requested, leaning forward to kiss him, her lips landing between his own and his chin.

Endymion groaned and pressed his lips to hers, his hands wandering all over her body, lighting fires as he went. They made gentle, comforting love to each other before passion took over, leaving them gasping but so much more complete than they had felt in months.


End file.
